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Biden's brother released from hospital after powder scare

Francis Biden, the brother of Vice President Joe Biden, was hospitalized overnight after a white powder from a manila envelope sent from India fell onto his skin upon opening the mail.

In addition to Biden's stay at Bethesda Hospital, his Ocean Ridge, Fla., neighborhood was evacuated and his street was closed down for eight hours until authorities determined that the area was safe, DB Techno reports.

The FBI released a statement saying that the powder appears to be harmless. Biden's girlfriend Mindy, who brought Biden the letter, was also briefly hospitalized.

"I was the only one who came in contact with the powder, so they kept me," Biden said, according to USA Today. "I'm fine. (Mindy) retrieved it, but I was the one who opened it. It was mailed from India."

Biden praised fire rescue, hospital and police officials for handling the situation. He was released from the hospital on Sunday morning. Biden did not say what else was in the envelope along with the powder and he said he knew nothing more about the origins of the package. The letter was addressed directly to him.

South Florida was also the destination of anthrax-filled envelopes a decade ago when five were killed in a postal service attack.